At the risk of sounding like a reverberating gong in the tunnel of economic news, there is a new report stating that U.S. business travel is not growing at the rate it would like.

The latest release from Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) places blame for the slower-than-desired growth on Europe’s economic turmoil, U.S. and China unemployment figures improving at a snail’s pace, and an uncertain presidential election.

The GBTA BTI Outlook for the United States suggests that businesses are keeping a lower profile by avoiding risk — including a cautious approach to travel investments — until the economy becomes more certain.

“Corporations are in a wait-and-see mode and holding back on investment decisions that would help boost the economy,” said Michael W. McCormick, GBTA executive director and COO, in a news release. “While companies aren’t cutting their business travel spend and we’re still seeing very modest growth, we are cautious about the outlook for the next several quarters.”

The GBTA appears dismayed by this quarter’s findings, but the figures are, nonetheless, an improvement over last quarter’s forecast.Read more…

Though more Coloradans with checking accounts are likely to pay a monthly fee compared to the rest of the country, that fee on average is less than what others are charged, an analysis of bank checking account practices by The Pew Charitable Trusts shows.

And for those chronic overdraft users who bear the highest fees, they’ll pay less in Colorado on average than the rest of the nation, even under the worst-case scenario, the analysis found.

Of the 12 large banks whose account practices were surveyed — amounting to 45 percent of all deposits nationally — the list includes some of Colorado’s largest banks in terms of market share: Wells Fargo Bank, U.S. Bank and JPMorgan Chase. FirstBank, the state’s second-largest in market share, was not part of the analysis, nor were credit unions and very small institutions.

The objective was to show how consumers were less able to comparison shop for a checking account as they could a can of soup.Read more…

The Federal Trade Commission today announced it had filed suit against three companies it claims preyed on distressed homeowners by falsely assuring they could save homes from foreclosure for large up-front fees that did little or nothing to improve the situation.

In all three cases, federal judges granted FTC requests to temporarily restrain the companies from doing any more business and froze assets until a hearing could be held.

“With many homeowners still struggling to hold onto their homes, the FTC takes a hard line against con artists who are seeking their next victim,” FTC chairman Jon Leibowitz said in a statement.

The agency teamed with the FBI and the Department of Housing and Urban Development in announcing the federal lawsuits — filed in California, Florida and Ohio — as part of it is Distressed Homeowner Initiative, which aims to stop predatory foreclosure rescue, mortgage modification, bankruptcy, and short-sale schemes that target people facing the loss of their home.

In its case against Prime Legal Plans, the FTC alleges the company falsely claims on its website to be a “charity working for struggling consumers that can’t afford legal representation.” The company charged consumers up to $750 each month but did “little or nothing” to stave foreclosure, the FTC said.

American Mortgage Consulting, the FTC says, often claimed to be paid by the government to help homeowners obtain non-existent “Home Saver” grants to reduce their up-front fees, which then ranged as high as $4,500.

And Expense Management is accused of charging fees as high as $10,000 to help consumers out of debt — foreclosure, credit card, loans among a laundry list — and promising to negotiate with creditors on their behalf to reduce their payments, which the FTC says did not happen.

Affected consumers are encouraged to contact the FTC at 1-877-382-4357.

Laura Keeney writes about aerospace and airlines for The Post. When she's not at work, you can usually find her taking in live music, reading voraciously, or doing something science-related and nerdy. She also loves The Clash ... a lot.

Emilie Rusch covers retail and commercial real estate for The Post. A Wisconsin native and Mizzou graduate, she moved to Colorado in 2012. Before that, she worked at a small daily newspaper in South Dakota. It's the one with Mount Rushmore.